


Walking Into Spiderwebs

by pinkevilbob



Series: Pinkevilbob's Widojest Week [8]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Body Horror, F/M, Fluff, Giant Spiders, Self-Indulgent, Widojest Week, it's giant spider fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-27 00:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19779784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: The Mighty are lost in a spooky forest, but are rescued by a weird hobo called Caleb. But what secrets is Caleb hiding?





	Walking Into Spiderwebs

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so of course I had to do an AU for day five of Widojest Week. But make sure to read the tags since this has giant spiders which isn't everyone's cup of tea.
> 
> Wolf from the Widojest Discord helped me develop this AU. She's really cool

It was a miserable forest. Dark, dreary, full of uncute deadly monsters, and spiderwebs. Lots and lots of spiderwebs. Like the one Jester was stuck in. Like the ones that all of her friends were stuck in. They were trying to make their way through the forest when Caduceus tripped and fell down a hill and the rest of them followed after.

Nott was stuck upside down in the webs next to Jester wiggling. "If I can just get my dagger," Nott said as she struggled. They were all in the same boat of being unable to move.

Jester tried to reach her symbol of the Traveler, but found herself unable to reach it. The forest was growing darker, and Jester was starting to give up hope, when the area became brighter. Little lights were floating around around them bringing light. Behind the lights, the sounds of twigs snapping announced the arrival of a very strange man.

He was pale under smudges of dirt, and twigs and leaves stuck out of his reddish hair. Even in the dark Jester could see how bright blue his eyes were as they nervously darted about. "You shouldn't be here."

"It's not like we got tangled up here on purpose," Beau said scowling.

"Ja, right. I meant in this forest. It's dangerous here," the man said. He pulled out a knife that looked old and dull. "Why are you here?"

"It's the best way to get to the Dunrock Mountains," Fjord said.

The man snorted. “Miserable place.” He took his knife and approached Nott. She hissed at him, but he ignored her and cut her free.

Nott fell on the ground. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry little one, but hanging upside down like that is bad for you," he said before carefully and methodically releasing them all saving Jester for last. The man was gentle as he cut away the webbing from her.

"Thank you," Jester said.

He smiled sadly at her.

"So if it's so dangerous in this forest, what are you doing here?" Beau demanded.

"I'm used to the dangers in here," he said.

Fjord frowned. "That doesn't answer the question."

"I live here," the man said. "I'm not well suited for life outside of the forest.You should be leaving here."

"That’s what we've been trying to do," Jester said. "Before we got lost."

"Tomorrow's the full moon," the man said almost to himself. "I can lead you out of here. It should take less than a day."

Jester grinned. "Really? Thank you!"

"Ja," he said blushing. "It's not a problem."

"What's your name?" Nott said. "We're the Mighty."

"The Mighty what?" the man asked.

Nott shrugged. "Just the Mighty."

"Well, the Mighty, my name is Caleb. Caleb Widogast."

* * *

It was a lot faster going through the forest with Caleb as their guide. He knew the best paths to take, how to avoid danger, and his lights made it a lot easier for Caduceus to make his way through.

Caleb got along well enough with Nott and put up with her and Jester's constant questions about him.

"How do you know magic?" Nott asked.

"I'm self taught. There's a lot of time to read here," Caleb said.

Jester walked backwards in front of Caleb to keep an eye on him. "And you really live here all by yourself?"

"Ja. I like the quiet," Caleb said. "You're going to trip if you keep going backward like that."

Jester spun around and walked beside him. "It must be very lonely to be here all by yourself."

"I don't mind. I'm not really a people person," he said. His cheeks were red and his eyes kept avoiding contact.

"It must be creepy here though," Nott said. "With all the spiders and creepy crawlies."

Caleb frowned at that. "I've had enough conversation."

Nott and Jester groaned. "That's no fun," Jester said. "How are we supposed to figure out your big secret if you're not going to talk to us?"

"What are you talking about?" Caleb turned incredibly pale.

"We're great detectives, and you can't be living out here by yourself for no reason. So it's up to us to figure it out," Jester said.

Caleb shook his head at this. "Some secrets are best left secret. I live here because I live here and it's best if you leave it at that."

Jester pouted at this. "But-" A loud howl interrrupted her.

"Wargs," Caleb said. "We we got to hurry." He shot off three fire rays in random directions and ran ahead. "Follow me."

The Mighty ran after to Caleb and followed him through brambles and all sorts of twists and turns. Soon the howls faded and could no longer be heard.

"You're awful good with magic," Fjord said. "Couldn't we've taken them in a fight."

Caleb stared at him for a moment. "Oh, ja, I forgot that you're mercenaries. I'm used to being here by myself. Never really had anyone on my side beside before."

"We can be on your side," Jester said. "You should join us."

Beau tugged on her arm. "Hey, Jes? I'm not sure it's such a good idea to invite random dirty wizards to join us. No offense," she said to Caleb.

"None taken. I'm not interested in joining you as it is anyways. I'd much rather stay here," Caleb said.

Jester frowned. It would've been nice to have another friend. There was still a strange loneliness that hung over them ever since Molly had died. Caduceus was nice and all, but there was still too much quiet without Molly.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, the offer's still open," Fjord said. "We could use the help of someone with your talents."

"I doubt that, but thank you." Caleb quietly went ahead clearing their path.

Nott shook her head. "There's something sad about that boy."

"Boy?" Jester asked. "He's older than me."

"He's a boy. Sometimes you can just tell if someone's not fully made yet," Nott said.

Jester looked down at her friend. "Am I fully made?"

"You're part of the world's greatest detective duo. Of course, you're fully made."

Jester grinned. Most people thought that she was immature and still a kid. "Thanks Nott."

Caleb returned to the group. "If you keep going straight, you'll get out of here in an hour."

"Thank you kindly," Fjord said. "But aren't you coming with us?"

"Nein. This part is easy, and I must be going. Moon's rising soon." Caleb looked up at the sky pensively. "This took longer than I would've like."

Jester smiled even though she was disappointed to be saying goodbye. "Thank you, Caleb! I've got Sending so I can talk to you again sometime!"

A soft almost sad smile graced Caleb's face. "That would be nice Ms. Lavorre." The smile then faded. "I must go, but good luck."

Jester waved goodbye as he faded from view.

"Let's hurry up and go," Beau said. “I'm getting sick of this place.”

"You can say that again," Nott said. "But he was nice."

Jester nodded. She was going to miss that strange sad wizard, but at least she had something to tell the Traveler that night. They continued down the path that Caleb pointed out to them for about half an hour when they reached the edge of the forest.

"Thank the Traveler," Jester said. She went to grab her symbol of the Traveler and found nothing. All color left her face. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Fjord asked.

"My symbol! It's missing! I can't talk to the Traveler without."

"Then you'll need to get or make a new one at the next town," Fjord said.

Jester shook her head. "You don't get it. I can't use any of my spells without it either."

Beau swore.

"I'm super sorry guys, but I'll just go back to get it," Jester said.

"Do you need us to come with you?" Caduceus asked.

Jester shook her head again. "No it's fine. It's probably not that far back. I'll just run back and get it. You just keep going forward."

Fjord frowned at this, but he nodded. "If that's what you want to do."

Jester grinned. "Thanks! I'll be back in a jiff!"

She ran down the trail back the way they came from her eyes focused on the ground which was probably why she tripped and tumbled head over heels into something soft. Something soft swearing in Zemnian. Caleb. Scrambling to get of him, Jester got up. "Sorry, sorry," she said.

"What are you doing here?" Caleb asked his eyes wide opened. He was pale and shaky.

"I had to go back to get my symbol of the traveler. It's super important," Jester said. She held out a hand to Caleb offering to help him up, but he just stared at it like Jester was offering him a snake.

Caleb shook his head. "You shouldn't be here."

"I have to find my symbol though."

"Look for it tomorrow then," Caleb said. "The forest is dangerous at night."

"Well, it's a good thing we're together then. It's safer with a friend right?" Jester smiled at him.

Caleb turned away from her. "I'm not your friend. I'm nobody's friend. You should just leave."

Jester pouted. The Traveler was her best friend. She wasn't going to abandon his symbol or him even for just one night. "I'm not leaving here without my symbol."

"Please," Caleb said. He was growing even paler and was covered in a sheen of sweat. His breathing was becoming more labored as well. "You have to leave. It’s not safe."

"You don't look so good Caleb." Jester moved forward to check his temperature, but he just backed away from her.

His legs gave out under him and Caleb just seemed barely able to keep himself up on his hands and knees. He glared out her, but his eyes shone with pain and fear.

"Please, Caleb, let me help you. I'm a cleric. It's my job to heal people," Jester said. A small voice in the back of her head questioned that, but Jester ignored it. Even without her symbol, she couldn't just stand there and do nothing while someone was clearly in pain.

Caleb collapsed even lower to the ground clutching his sides. "Go away!" he barked and he didn't sound like himself.

"Caleb ,just tell me what is wrong. You're scaring me."

Caleb looked up at her with those sad blue eyes of his and then let out an ear piercing scream of agony. He pitched forward and shook with no control over his body.

Jester knelt down by his side and checked his pulse on his neck. His neck was covered in dark coarse bristle like fur and it kept getting thicker. The fur was growing all over him. His legs and arms bent wrong like there were too many joint in them. There were too many limbs all together. Caleb slowly swelled in size, and his clothes melted away being replaced with more of that wretched fur. The eight gruesome limbs grew to be longer than Jester was tall. Soon, it was no longer Caleb there, but a giant monstrous spider.

She tried to back away, but Jester tripped and found herself in the dirt. Scrambling to get away, she crawled backwards only to back up to a tree. This was it the end of Jester Lavorre eaten in her prime by a gross spider. Jester screwed her eyes shut waiting for the first frightening deadly bite. Only, nothing happened. Cautiously, Jester opened an eye to see the spider ducking down and shivering.

“Are you afraid too?” Jester asked. She slowly got up and the spider that was once Caleb tried to get away from her, but its foot got caught in the roots of a tree. Jester had to hold back a laugh. “It’s okay, it’s just me, Jester.”

The spider still shivered and shook, but it raised its head a little giving Jester a better look at its eyes. They were blue like Caleb’s. It made sense since the spider was Caleb. “Hey, you’re not so mean are you?” Jester slowly approached it keeping her hands where it could see them. “And neither am I. Let me help okay?” Jester wasn’t sure that spiders could nod, but this one probably was nodding. “Okay, Spider Caleb I’m going to free you.”

Jester came from the side, but Spider Caleb turned to face her and waggled its fangs at her. “Yes, yes, you’re a big, mean, scary spider. Now let me get you out of here.” The giant hairy leg of Spider Caleb was on the list of things that Jester least wanted to touch, but just standing there was not get Caleb out of there. Closing her eyes, Jester touched the leg. It was prickly and creepy, but not as gross as she was afraid it would be. She knelt down and started pulling at the roots and wiggling Caleb’s leg to get it loose.

Caleb chattered something in spider. “I’m sorry, but it’s taking me a little bit to get you free,” Jester said. She gave his leg one last pull, and it finally slipped free of the roots. Wiggling his fangs around, Caleb made a chittering noise and pushed at Jester nearly knocking her over.

"Oh, careful Caleb," Jester said. He went around to her other side gently nudging her to move forward. After a minute of being herded, Jester realized what he was trying to do. "I can't leave the forest yet, Caleb. I lost something super important and I have to find it. It's the most important thing ever."

Caleb looked confused for a spider, so Jester pulled out her sketchbook. "See this?" She opened the book to the first page. Drawn on it was the symbol of the Traveler. A door with a path leading to it. "I have an amulet version of this, and it lets me talk to my best friend and do magic and cool stuff and I dropped it, so I have to find it. Can you help me find it?"

The spider looked over the page waving his fangs about as he did. He did a spidery nod and went low to the ground.

"Are you trying to sniff it out?" Jester asked.

Caleb shook at this and lowered the main part of his body more and went closer to Jester. "You want me to get on you?" she asked. He nodded. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing that she'd done that day, so she climbed up on him.

Riding a spider was not comfortable with all the bristles and how hard his body was, but it was not as bad as Jester was afraid that it would be. Caleb took off. Jester had no clue how fast spiders could be, but it turned out they were a lot faster than she was. He ignored the trails and was in the trees.

"Caleb!" Jester shouted to be heard. "We have to be on the ground! I can't see where I could've dropped it!"

But Caleb kept moving forward. If Jester wasn't so worried about her symbol, she would've loved the ride. It was the most thrilling thing she had ever done. She just wished that the Traveler was there for it.

Eventually Caleb stopped and they were back where the Mighty met Caleb. Webs were everywhere, and Jester had to be careful moving around. "This is your home, isn't it?" Jester asked. Spider Caleb nodded. It entered her mind that Caleb might've brought her here to eat her, but oddly she wasn't worried. She trusted Caleb even if he was a big ugly spider.

Caleb scuttled over to a web and pointed at it with a leg. In the web was her symbol. Jester cut it loose as quickly as possible. It was still sticky, but she hugged her symbol anyways. "You found it!" she cheered. "Wait, did you remember this from when you were human?" The spider shrugged and nodded at the same time.

“You’re very smart, Caleb.” Jester patted him on his head and he nuzzled into it. “You’re not scary at all, are you?” Caleb seemed terrified though of the idea of Jester finding out about his secret and that something bad would happen. Did he think that spider him would hurt her? But Spider Caleb was completely harmless. “Ready to go back?”

Caleb nodded and crouched down to let Jester back on him. Jester climbed on and soon they were off. It was better this time with her symbol, but she had trouble focusing as they went and found herself struggling to stay awake. When she almost slid off, Caleb stopped and let her off. “This is just a short break okay, Caleb?” The others were probably already worried about her as it was. “I just need to rest my eyes for a moment.”

Jester settled down at the base of a tree and Caleb curled up beside her. He made for a strange companion, but Jester wouldn’t trade him for anything.

* * *

Caleb woke up in the forest, but he always woke up in the forest since he lived there. It wasn’t his typical lair, but it wasn’t unusual for his spider self to travel about. He could never remember what he did as a spider, but he could only imagine it was terrible. Stretching he moved to get only to discover that he wasn’t alone. Jester was there. Still and unmoving.

The memory of the night before hit him like a pile of bricks. Jester was there. She saw what he had turned into. Swathes of spiderwebs covered most of her except for her head.

What had he done?

Fear grew in the pit of his stomach. This was why he left civilization. So that he couldn’t hurt anyone. But, even here Caleb wasn’t safe. Why did he ever approach those mercenaries in the first place? He wanted to get them out of his forest so nothing would happen to them, but obviously it didn’t work. And now Caleb’s finally killed someone innocent just like he always knew he would.

Caleb pushes a stray strand of webbing out of Jester’s face and she stirred. “Mm, Caleb?” Jester opened an eye and peered up at him. “Oh, you’re a human again. You know, you should’ve told me that you turn into a sweet spider.”

“Sweet?” That was the very last word that Caleb would ever use to describe his spider self. He was a monster; nothing more and nothing less.

“Yeah, you were super sweet last night. You even made me a super cool blanket.” Jester held up the webbing that covered her.

Caleb took it. The webbing wasn’t as sticky as what the spider would use for catching cocooning its meals. “I don’t understand,” Caleb said. “It’s a monster. I’m a monster.”

“Not really. You were really nice last night.You helped me find my symbol. You don’t remember, do you?” Jester asked.

Caleb shook his head. “Not really. The spider and I may share the body, but we don’t have the same mind.”

Jester frowned. “He remembered. The other you, the spider you. He remembered where my symbol fell out.” She pulled out her symbol and he vaguely recalled seeing it before.

“Really? I find that hard to believe.”

“Yeah? Cause Spider you was very nice and talented. He, or well you, got us to your, his, home in no time at all. We were going back to the others, but I got tired and we had to take a break.” Jester looked up at the sunlight breaking through the trees and gasped. “Omigosh it’s morning! The others must be worried!” She scrambled up and nearly tripped, but Caleb managed to catch her. A light purple crossed her blue cheeks. “Thanks.”

Caleb looked away. “You’re welcome. It’ll take about an hour and 24 minutes to get to the outside the forest from here. Your friends should be waiting there unless they found a way to get lost again. Let’s go.”

“You’re not just going to ditch me right before we get there again are you?” Jester asked with a hint of a pout.

“Nein. The next full moon isn’t for another 29 days,” Caleb said. He led the way through the foliage.

Jester stayed close to his side. “So that’s why you stay in the forest. Cause you’re a werewolf. Well, not a wolf werewolf, but a werespider.”

“Ja. It’s not safe for me to be around people. For them or me.”

“But you’re such a sweet spider,” Jester said, “why would there be any danger?”

Caleb sighed. “When I first came down with my condition, I tried to remain in Rexxentrum. It was a bad decision.”

“What happened?” Jester asked her voice colored with concern.

“All the dogs in the neighborhood went missing. Unexplained disappearances in general were on the rise. Add in sightings of me on full moons and a bounty for the death of the Rexxentrum Spider, and it was my cue to leave for a safer home,” Caleb said. If it was just the missing dogs, Caleb might’ve considered staying. He never was very fond of dogs. But with the possibility of killing people, staying was not an option.

“That’s so sad. You had to isolate yourself just because of something that happens once a month.” Jester went quiet for longer than Caleb thought possible for her with a pensive look on her face. “About how long have you had your condition?”

Caleb mentally checked the day. “Five years, 5 months, and 25 days.”

“And you’ve been lonely all those years,” Jester said.

Caleb shook his head. “I’m not a people person, so it was not that bad.” Never mind how much he missed books, bread, and cats. But it was safer this way.

“What if you had somebody who could protect you? From yourself and others, I mean.”

“No one’s that strong,” Caleb said with a sigh.

Jester smirked. “I don’t know Caleb. I’m pretty strong. And, and when you add in my friends we are the Mighty! Keeping a scrawny wizard who’s sometimes a spider safe would be so easy for us.”

Caleb laughed. “It’s impossible.” But Jester looked so convinced in herself. “I’m sorry I’m not doubting your abilities, but,” he looked around at the dark woods, “this is my place.”

“But it’s not a home,” Jester said. It was heartbreaking to hear her sound so downtrodden.

“Not everyone needs a home.”

“You can’t really believe that?!” Jester squawked. “Everyone needs a home. Even you Caleb.”

Caleb scoffed. “I’m a monster, Jester. There’s no such thing as a home for a monster.”

The sad look on Jester’s face was replaced by a determined one. “Fine then. You’re a monster. I just so happen to need a monster!”

“What?” Caleb was completely baffled by this sudden turn.

Jester nodded jingling her horn jewelry. “That’s right. As a cleric of the Traveler, I’m required to have a monster by my side. To … strike fear in the hearts of confident brats. I’ve been looking for the perfect one, and I don’t think I can find one better than a giant spider who is sometimes a little wizard.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow at this. “Really?”

“Really. It’s in all our holy literature,” Jester said with a grin, but it quickly slipped into a concerned frown. “Actually, I was starting to worry that I wouldn’t find one in time. I think the Traveler led me back to you.” Caleb barely believed a word she said until that last sentence. She truly believed that her god brought her to Caleb.

“So I’m to be your servant then?” Caleb asked.

Jester shook her head causing her jewelry to jangle again. “No it’s not like that. It’s more like you’d be my friend.”

“I do not make a good friend.”

“I can teach you then! I’m a really good friend!” Jester clapped her hands and her tail swished happily behind her.

The idea of staying with this tiefling was tempting. “What are the duties of a cleric’s monster?” he asked despite his better judgement.

“It’s your job to be scary and agree with me on things. And my job is to take care of you and keep you safe. Oh and if you get pastries, you have to share them with me. That part’s very official,” Jester said.

A smile crept up on Caleb’s face. “Obviously. And what would happen if you don’t get yourself a monster?”

Jester’s shoulders droop. “I don’t know.” Her voice sounded small and lost.

Caleb stuck out a hand. He knew he was going to regret doing this, but he was going to regret not doing it tooo. “Then, cleric of the Traveler, you have yourself a monster.”

“Really?”Jester ignored his offer of a handshake and instead wrapped Caleb in a tight hug. “We’re going to be great together, I just know it!”

He melted in her embrace a little. A small part of him could get used to this. “Ja, me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> So the second Caleb turned into a giant spider, I knew there needed to be a were-spider Caleb AU and that I was probably the only one weird enough to write it.
> 
> I hope that this fic makes sense to people who are not me and that you all liked it!


End file.
